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Ottawa Gee-Gees
Marcel Bellefeuille
Marcel Bellefeuille
  • Title:
    Head Coach
  • Phone:
    (613) 562-5800 ext. 6339
  • Email:
    mbellef3@uottawa.ca
  • Office Location:
    Lees Campus - Room E-150
  • Since:
    2020

Bio

A 25-year professional and collegiate coaching veteran, Bellefeuille returned to his alma mater in 2020, 20 years after leading the program to its second Vanier Cup victory in 2000. 

Bellefeuille's history with the Gee-Gees began over 35 years ago, while still attending Ridgemont High School. Having watched Gee-Gees games at Lansdowne Park, Bellefeuille later arrived at the university as a player in 1985.

Graduating with a Bachelor of Arts in History in 1991, Bellefeuille went on to win a championship coaching high school football in the city, eventually joining the Gee-Gees coaching staff in 1995 as an offensive assistant. Primarily working as the team's running backs coach, Bellefeuille rose rapidly and was named head coach in 1998.

The Ottawa native first served as head coach of the program from 1998 to 2000, amassing an overall record of 26-5 and leading the Gee-Gees football team to their first national title in 25 years. In 2018, Bellefeuille was inducted into the Gee-Gees Football Hall of Fame.

In 1998, the Gee-Gees posted a 6-2 regular season record under their new head coach. In 1999, the team's 9-0 undefeated campaign came to an end in the Dunsmore Cup. That season, Bellefeuille was named the OQIFC Coach of the Year. In 2000, the team finished the regular season 7-1, going on to win the Dunsmore Cup and the Churchill Bowl, before defeating Regina in the Vanier Cup. At 34 years old, Bellefeuille was the youngest Vanier Cup winning head coach in history.

In 2001, Bellefeuille made the leap to professional football, becoming Saskatchewan's offensive line coach, he then served as the Roughriders' offensive coordinator from 2003 to 2005. In 2006 and 2007, he served as offensive coordinator in Montreal with the Alouettes and coached in the 2006 Grey Cup prior to moving on to his first head coaching job in the CFL.

From 2008 to 2011, Bellefeuille was the head coach of the Hamilton Tiger-Cats, revamping a struggling franchise to lead the team to three consecutive playoff berths, including a trip to the Eastern Division finals in 2011. He was a finalist for CFL Coach of the Year in 2009.

In 2012, he entered U.S. professional football in the United Football League (UFL) to serve as offensive coordinator of the Omaha Nighthawks. In 2013, he returned to the CFL where he was named the offensive coordinator in Winnipeg until 2015. In 2016, Bellefeuille became the wide receivers coach with the BC Lions, where he stayed until 2018. Over the course of his career, Bellefeuille has coached every offensive position at the professional level.

Bellefeuille returned to U SPORTS coaching in 2018, serving as the offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach of the Queen's Gaels. Under his direction, the Gaels finished second in the OUA in passing yards per game with 334 and averaged 30.5 points per game.

In 2019, he coached professionally in the Texas Spring League, which also provided a series of showcase games after the season for the upcoming XFL season. Following the league's completion, he returned to the Canada to serve as a scout for the Edmonton Eskimos. In December, Bellefeuille was brought on to be the Montreal Alouettes offensive line coach prior to his appointment as the head coach for the Gee-Gees for the second time.

Bellefeuille led the program through the 2020 season which was most notably maked by the COVID-19 pandemic and cancelled regular season schedule. As the Gee-Gees took to the field in 2021, Bellefeuille's troops moved to TD Place stadium, home of the CFL's Ottawa Redblacks, for its home games. The Gee-Gees were 3-3 in regular season play, and 1-1 in the postseason in 2021.

2022 saw Bellefeuille coaching with the Philadelphia Stars of the United States Football League (USFL), directing the wide receivers. Philadelphia reached the USFL Championship game.

Bellefeuille, 56, lives in Ottawa with his wife Julie. Together they have four children, Ymilie (U of O graduate), Alexandra (U of O graduate), Mathias, and Cedrik.

 

Gee-Gees Coaching Records (entering the 2022 season):

Overall: 30-9

Regular Season: 24-6

Playoff: 6-3

Overall 1998 to 2000: 26-5